Alright, here’s the craic: Richard Dawson isn’t just in a league of his own when it comes to trend-flattening experimental folk: he is easily one of the greatest living musical artists. He first confirmed that fact with the release of Nothing Important back in 2014, and to the contrary, it felt very important; seismic even. On that album and follow-ups Peasant and 2020, the Newcastle artist took the imprint of everything from Kenyan folk traditions and Captain Beefheart, to Sun Ra and Sufi devotional music to fathom a careening, unfuckwithable folk genius all his own. See also: last year’s sprawling opus The Ruby Cord. During that time, Dawson had few more…
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Paul Smith and Rachel Unthank reimagine radical futures through the lens of traditional folk and new songs from and about the north of England during a spellbinding Monday evening in the Empire Music Hall. Shape-shifting arrangements veer from unaccompanied close harmony to mesmerising full band jazz-inflected work-outs. Alex Neilson from free-improvisation folk group Trembling Bells provides an eerie psych-folk backdrop on drums. Accompaniment on clarinet is provided by Faye McCalman from avant-jazz group Archipelago. The Maximo Park frontman adds a sharp pop nous to the songs from their recent record Nowhere and Everywhere – performed in its entirety tonight. The…
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Robert Forster live at the Empire Music Hall in Belfast. Photos by Aislinn McGinn
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The Mary Wallopers live at the Empire Music Hall in Belfast last week. Photos by Sean McMahon
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Dry Cleaning live at the Empire Music Hall in Belfast last night. Photos by Sean McMahon.
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Making Monsters live at the Empire Music Hall in Belfast with support from Death Of A Salesman, Heel Of Achilles and Black Chapels. Photos by Liam Kielt.
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HamsandwicH, A Bad Cavalier, Franklyn and New Portals live at the Empire Music Hall in Belfast. Photos by Sara Marsden.
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Empty Lungs live at the Empire Music Hall with support from Bitch Falcon, Apartments and Junk Drawer. Photos by Liam Kielt.
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Previously going under the Silhouette moniker, Shauna Tohill launched her new project, Rews, at Belfast’s Empire Music Hall at the weekend, with support from Vokxen, Allie Bradley and Jess Edlin. Photos by Liam Kielt.
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Goons live at the empire music hall in Belfast with support from Oh Volcano and Dutch Schultz. Photos by Liam Kielt.